Camera



May 8, 1945 J. s. HOWARD 2,375,555

CAMERA Filed June 23, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l III Llnm.

INVENTOR :mi:.--llli QN Jasper S Jloward RTTYS May 8, 1945. s; HOWARD 2,375,555

' CAMERA Filed June 23, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 nnnn INVENTOR 31 Jasper .jfowara HTTYS Patented May 8, 1945 CAMERA Jasper S. Howard, Sacramento, Calif., assignor of one-half to Thomas D. Bishop, Sacramento,

Calif.

Application June 23, 1942, Serial No. 448,087

iClaim.

This invention is an improvement in commercial cameras, and in particular the invention is directed to an improved camera which is arranged for loading with comercial roll nlm, of either negative or positive type, and which nlm is available on the market in reel-supported rolls of substantial footage.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a commercial camera adapted to be loaded with roll nlm as above, and arranged so that a single exposure on the nlm may be cut from the roll and removed from the camera for development; this being accomplished by mechanism mainly within the camera, and without in any way disturbing or exposing the remainder of the roll of nlm.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel camera designed for use with commercial roll nlm obviating the need of nlm packs or plates, and yet producing single exposure nlm sections as above.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a camera, designed for loading with commercial roll nlm, which is easy to operate and arranged so that the nlm feed is positive and smooth; the film for each exposure being fed in a unique manner from the reel into face to face and covering relation to a ground glass, upon which the image has previously been focused.

An additional object of the invention is t0 Drovide 'a camera, designed for loading with commercial roll nlm, which includes, in unique assembly, a nlm exposing compartment, a ground glass focusing plate therein, means to selectively feed the nlm from the roll in overlying face to face relation to said ground glass, and manually actuated means to cut on each exposed section of the nlm; there being a container into which the cut off, exposed section of nlm is deposited, said container being adapted for removal from the camera with the cut of! section of nlm enclosed in the container against light entry and for carrying to the laboratory for development.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specincation and claim.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved camera, partly broken out and in section.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the camera.

Figure 3 is a cross-section on line l--I of Fig. l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing the nlm cut-off knife and actuating rod assembly.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation illustrating the normal position of the container for receiving cut sections of nlm.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional plan on line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the camera comprises a longitudinally extending initially open-ended film exposing compartment I; aid compartment being rectangular in cross sectipn and including a top 2, sides 3 and a bottom 4. Adjacent but short of the forward end of the compartment I, the latter is ntted with a fullsize transverse pane 5 of ground glass; there being a nlm entry slot 6 through the top 2 transversely of the latter and immediately ahead of ground glass 5. A corresponding nlm outlet slot 1 is cut through the bottom 4 transversely likewise immediately ahead of ground glass 5 and in alinement with slot 6.

As shown in Fig. 6, the glass is held in grooves in the side walls 3, one groove being normally closed by a vertically removable slide plate P, which when removed allows the glass to be withdrawn laterally.

The compartment I above the ground glass 5 is formed with upstanding side extensions 8 of substantial length and height, and a nlm guide plate 9 extends in nxed relation transversely between said side extensions above the top 2 and in the vertical plane of the face of ground glass 5; the upper end portion of guide plate 9 being curved rearwardly, as shown. Guide strips Iii are secured to the sides 3 and side extensions 8 in slightly spaced parallel relation to and ahead of ground glass 5 and guide plate 9 respectively, whereby to form nlm guide channels I2 which extend from a point a considerable distance above top 2 downward to bottom 4. Slots 6 and 1 register with said channels. 'I'he upper ends .of guide strips I0 curve forwardly as shown at I i, whereby the upper portions of said strips and guide plate 9 converge in a downward direction relative to each other.

A pair of transverse, resilient rolls I3 and 'I4 respectively are removably journaled between side extensions 8 adjacent but above top 2, said rolls frictionally engaging each other at a pointwlS which lies in the vertical plane of nlm guide channels I2; the guide plate 4 being cut away to the extent necessary to permit a portion of the periphery of roll I4 to project therethrough. The roll I4 has an extended shaft I4 at one end on whichacrank I1 is aiilxed. Theron Ilisafreely journaled roll and includes end trunnions I4 which are removably engaged in horizontal notches Il in the side extensions 8 said trunnions being normally but releasably held in said notches lby suitable releasable springs such as upstanding spring ngers 20.

A vertical supporting arm II is secured on and upstands from the compartment I adjacent the rear end and on one side thereof, said arm having a horizontal spindle S arranged to support a. reel 22 of commercial roll nlm 23. The nlm feeds from said reel to the curved upper end of guide plate l, whence it passes in guided relation in channels I2 between rolls I3 and I4 downward through slot l. From slot B the channels I2 continue to guide the nlm and to hold the same in substantially face to face engagement with ground glass l. A relatively short and diverging transverse guide flange 24 upstands from topiaheadofslotiandassuresthatthenlm passes through slot i after leaving the rolls I! and I4, which drive the film upon rotation of hand crank I'I.

'I'he above described assembly, except crank I 1, is mounted Iwithin a generally conforming and light-tight case 2l which includes sides 2l, a top lid 21 which permits placement and removal of reel 22 and threading of the nlm, and a base 28 disposed some distance below bottom 4 of compartment I; said bottom 4 of the compartment being extended beyond its sides I and flanged as at 28 for connection with the sides 2l of the case. The compartment I and the assembly mounted thereon may of course be secured within case 2l in any suitable manner.

A film cut-oil knife III is pivoted, as at 3|, to the underside of bottom 4 beyond one end of slot l for sweeping motion in engagement with said bottom 4 and across said slot. A radial actuating lever 82 formed with the knife is pivotally connected to a spring-returned pull rod I3; said rod extending transversely of the case and projecting to a termination exterlorly thereof. 'I'hepullrodll atitsouterendisnxedwitha finger knob 44.

Below the pull rod 44 but within the case Il there is a longitudinally extending removable container or box ll for catching cut sections of nlm; said container riding on base Il and guided between rails 30 on said base. The .box Il extends into the case II from an opening in one end thereof and below the compartment I in light-tight relation to the latter. The box includes a top slide 31 which is normally drawn out a substantial portion of its length as shown in Fig. l, so that the box is open suniciently to receive a out section of nlm. A pull knob 8l is secured to the outer end of said box. The opening through which the box projects into the case 2l is automatically closed, upon removal of the boxl by a spring actuated flap door 3l mounted on base 2l inside the case 2l.

At the rear end, the compartment I is normally closed by a light-tight longitudinally slldable box 40 of rectangular drawer-like construction,

` open on top and at its inner end, and containing a reflecting mirror M for focusing purposes, which is set in the box on a slope as shown. When the box is pulled out to its limit as determined by stop means 40a, the operator can see the image on the ground glass I by looking down onto mirror M. The front end of said compartment is arranged in connection with a lens unit as for example a focusing mount 4I which includes a lens and shutter element 42 supported in longitudinal adjustable relation by any suitable means, indicated generally at 4l, on an extension 44 of base II.

In use, the camera is supported on a tripod or the like and the slide box 4l is pulled out, and the operator adjusts the lens 42 so that the image of the subject is focused on ground glass l. The box 4l is then closed and the nlm 2l, which previously has been clear of the ground glass, is fed downward until said glass is fully covered. The diameter of rolls I3 and I4 is such that with one complete forward revolution of said crank I1, the correct amount of nlm is fed through slot I to fully cover ground glass i. Thereafter, the nlm covering the ground glass is exposed through the lens and shutter unit 42. With a further -full rotation of crank I1 forwardly, the exposed section of nhn passes through the outlet slot 1. The operator then pulls on knob I4 which causes the knife 30 to sweep across slot 1 below the latter, cutting on said exposed section of the nlm, which falls into box Il. If the operator desires to make a further exposure before removing the cut section of nlm from the camera, he rotates crank I'I once in a reverse direction, which withdraws the nlm from within the compartment and clear of ground glass I, permitting further focusing. 'Thereafter the process above described is repeated.

After the cut nlm section or sections, as the case may be, have been deposited in -box 38, the slide 31 is pushed inward. closing the top of said box. 'Ihe box, by the use of pull knob 3l, may then be withdrawn from the camera without light damage to the nlm sections therein. As said box is withdrawn the spring-urged nap door 3l instantaneously closes the opening in the case 2l from which the box is drawn. The box, after being carried to the laboratory and emptied, is of course returned to normal position in the camera, as shown in Fig. l, with the slide 31 pulled out to a substantial extent, so that further cut sections of nlm may fall into the box with continued use of the camera.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen thst I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A camera which includes in combination three light tight compartments disposed immediately adjacent one another, the center one oi' which comprises the nlm exposure compartment provided with shutter and focus means, a ground glass disposed transversely across said nlm exposure compartment, the walls of such compartment having alined slots lying immediately adjacent the plane of one face of the glass and which slots open into adjacent compartments, one of such adjacent compartments comprising a roll nlm retaining compartment and the other comprising a cut nlm receiving compartment,

means for mounting a roll of fllm in the roll lm retaining compartment. a pair of co-acting lm advancing rollers disposed in said last named compartment with their co-acting faces disposed in substantial alinementl with the adjacent slot leading into the film exposure compartment, means to guide lm from the lm roll and between said rollers, means to rotate one roller to advance the fihn through the rollers and such slot and across the face of the ground glass and thence through the other slot into the cut lm compartment, cutting means operable within the last named compartment to sweep across the slot opening into said compartment to cutl lm advanced into such compartment and allow it to deposit in such compartment, the circumference of the advancing roller being equal in length to the width of the ground glass whereby with one revolution of the roller in one direction the lm will be advanced an amount sufficient to cover the glass and with one revolution of the roller in the opposite direction the lm will be retracted an amount sucient to clear the glass of lm during focusing of the camera, after the cutting off of such lm as mayhave been advanced into the cut lm compartment.

JASPER S. HOWARD. 

